You have the zero-waste and plastic-free routine down but well-meaning friends and family constantly buy you unwanted gifts. Here’s how to decline them.
holidays
9 Simple Ways to Reduce Holiday Consumption
The holidays can present many challenges for anyone trying to cut their waste. From the parties, to the feasts to the gifts—and everyone’s expectations—you may feel like throwing your hands in the air and throwing in the (disposable) towel. These nine steps will help you reduce your consumption, retain your sanity and keep everyone happy. […]
13 Gifts in Jars
I’m like those department stores you hate that begin selling Christmas decorations well before you’ve even chosen a Halloween costume. But hear me out. You may not have started thinking about the holidays but for some of these gifts, you need to start now, hence the early post. Others on this list you can start […]
Make Memories, Not Waste
Gift-giving and low waste can happily co-exist. Studies show that experiences bring more happiness to people than stuff. Anticipating an experience—a trip, an upcoming concert, dinner with friends—makes us happy before the actual event. In other words, we benefit from the experience before we actually experience the experience. Afterward, we have fond memories. And even if […]
18 Waste-Busting Ideas for Thanksgiving Dinner
The biggest food day of the year in the US will soon be here. These ideas will help you waste less. 1. Keep it simple For this post I did a bit of research into a typical Thanksgiving dinner. I checked out menus on the website of a popular, mainstream magazine site and found them […]
How to Scale Back During the Holidays
Some might say I go too far. When compared to the average consumer, I may seen downright nutty. But I believe that decades ago—before mass consumer culture kicked in—I would have seemed fairly normal. Well, let’s say normal as far as my consumption patterns go… As I have said many times, I’m not extreme, our […]
Gifts in Jars: Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Click here to jump to the recipe If you’re like me—in panic mode/denial about the date—and need a quick, thoughtful Christmas gift, you can throw together this cookie-mix-in-a-jar present in a few minutes and maybe also spur a conversation with your recipient about zero-waste and plastic-free living. Think of it as a quiet, delicious way […]